Young RJ of Slum Village Reveals Kanye West’s Influence on J Dilla’s “Donuts” Record

In a recent interview with Shirley Ju, Young RJ of Slum Village shed light on Kanye West’s unexpected influence on J Dilla’s iconic album, “Donuts.” RJ reminisced about the video shoot for Slum Village’s 2004 track “Selfish,” featuring Kanye West and John Legend, where Dilla made a memorable appearance. According to RJ, Dilla attended the shoot and was challenged by a peer for being overshadowed by the rising star Ye.

“Scrap Dirty [said], ‘Man, this your group and you gon’ let Kanye come through and do this? He killing the soul shit!’ Dilla’s sitting in the stands like, ‘Oh word? That’s what you think?’ He goes back… that’s when you get all the stuff that you heard on Donuts, all the soul stuff. He was making his point that, ‘I’m unf*ckwittable,'” RJ recalled.

Kanye West, known for his admiration of J Dilla, has previously expressed his reverence for the late producer. Reflecting on their meeting at Common’s house in Los Angeles, Ye shared his admiration for Dilla’s talents, particularly his mastery of the MPC. “I just remember vibing with him and having so much respect, and just wanting to work with him more,” Kanye reminisced in an interview from Stones Throw’s documentary “Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton.”

In another intriguing revelation, RJ disclosed that West charged Slum Village $90,000 for his contribution to “Selfish.” He suggested it was a form of “payback” against a record label executive who had overlooked him.

The interview offers a fascinating glimpse into the dynamic between two influential figures in hip-hop and underscores the interconnectedness of their creative journeys.